The Douglas DC-3 is one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made. Since its introduction in the 1930s, the DC-3 completely revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 40s and had a lasting effect on both the airline industry and World War II. So why would such a significant aircraft—a symbol of the golden [...]
It may be slow, it may be simple, and it may be ugly, but this little piggy is tough as nails. If this warthog could talk, it might say “no worries.” Because even though the A-10 Thunderbolt II is old and ugly, it is most definitely still effective. But the question the military keeps asking [...]
From underground bunkers, aliens, apocalyptic art, and Nazi runways, there’s no way the internet doesn’t find this airport weird. The Denver International Airport (DIA or IATA: DEN) isn’t your typical airport. At 33,531 acres, it is the largest airport in the US (by total land area). It is also the sixth busiest airport in the [...]
Do You Want to Believe? Planes aren’t always the only things flying in the sky. We’ve got helicopters, blimps, weather balloons, lost kites… and every once in a while, some eye spies something that’s not so easily identifiable. These are known as UFOs: unidentified flying objects. For some, UFOs are as American as baseball, apple [...]
The World's First Operational Jet Fighter While the design for the Messerschmitt Me 262 began pre-World War II, it didn't reach operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. Even then, only small numbers of Me 262s actually appeared in combat. Design and Development Several years before the onset of WWII, Germans saw the potential for [...]
In 1910, a woman set out in an automobile across the country to prove that women were well-equipped to drive automobiles. This feat made her the second woman to drive across the United States. Several months later, she also became the first American woman to take a solo hop into the air. Blanche Stuart Scott [...]
So, what exactly does it mean when that little plane icon appears? Airplane mode is a setting found on many modern smartphones. Maybe you've used it before when you travel. Maybe you've heard enabling it will help save battery life on your phone. Or maybe you've never put any thought into the little airplane icon. [...]
These Pitts Sure Don't Stink. For a reliable aerobatic biplane, you can't go wrong with a Pitts Special. Design & Development Curtis Pitts designed this series of light, aerobatic biplanes beginning in 1943-1944. He built his first design, the S1, in 1945. Since then, the Pitts Special (and its derivatives) have dominated the world of [...]
After nearly two decades, acrobatic performances once again graced the skies of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Avoca, Pennsylvania hadn’t seen an air show in 17 years. But that all—thankfully—changed on August 12. Like an Old Friend Returning The airport first officially announced the airshow back in March after speculation and unconfirmed [...]
Air shows have a rich history. Since man first learned to fly, airplanes--and aerial stunts--have wowed crowds of people on the ground. For many people in the early 20th century, flying was unreal. It didn't seem possible and seeing was believing. If you don't believe something is possible, witnessing it en masse is something truly [...]
